MALI ARRESTS GENERALS WORKING “ON BEHALF OF THE FRENCH INTELLIGENCE SERVICE” IN OVERTHROW PLOT

Fri 15 August 2025:

Mali’s authorities have detained several military personnel and civilians, including two army generals and an alleged French intelligence operative, accused of plotting to destabilize the nation.

On Thursday evening, Mali’s Security Minister, General Daoud Aly Mohammedine, confirmed the arrests, addressing days of speculation surrounding the detention of Malian military officials.

The minister said, “The situation is completely under control.”

“The transitional government informs the national public of the arrest of a small group of marginal elements of the Malian armed and security forces for criminal offences aimed at destabilising the institutions of the republic,” Mohammedine said on national news.

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“The conspiracy has been foiled with the arrests of those involved,” he said, adding that the plot began on August 1.

“These soldiers and civilians” had obtained “the help of foreign states”, Mali’s military said in a statement, adding that a French national – identified as Yann Christian Bernard Vezilier – was held on suspicion of working “on behalf of the French intelligence service”.

The security minister said the Frenchman acted “on behalf of the French intelligence service, which mobilised political leaders, civil society actors and military personnel” in Mali.

Images shared on social media of the alleged French spying suspect featured a white man in his 50s wearing a white shirt and appearing somewhat alarmed.

National television also broadcast photos of 11 people it said were members of the group that planned the coup.

The security minister also identified two Malian generals he said were part of the plot.

General Abass Dembele

One of the suspects, General Abass Dembele, is a former governor of the country’s central Mopti region, who was abruptly dismissed in May when he demanded an investigation into allegations that the Malian army killed civilians in the village of Diafarabe. The second general, Nema Sagara, was previously lauded for her role in fighting rebel groups in 2012.

Security sources told the AFP news agency that at least 55 soldiers had been arrested, and authorities said they were working to identify “possible accomplices”.

Since 2012, Mali has been plagued by a security crisis driven by violence from al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS)-linked armed groups, alongside local criminal gangs, exacerbating the country’s poverty.

Under President Assimi Goita, Mali’s military leadership has shifted away from Western allies, particularly former colonial power France, forging closer political and military ties with Russia in pursuit of national sovereignty.

In June, Goita secured an additional five years in power, despite prior commitments from the military to restore civilian rule by March 2024.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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